2 women killed by hit-and-run drivers on Long Island
NEW YORK - Suffolk County Police were investigating two hit-and-run crashes that killed two women on Monday night.
The first happened in Hauppauge around 10:15 p.m. A sedan was traveling eastbound on Motor Parkway when it hit another car at the intersection of Moreland Road.
The vehicle went off of the road and hit Cherokee Fletcher, 28, of Commack, who was standing on the sidewalk, Suffolk County Police said. The driver then took off eastbound on Motor Parkway and has not been caught.
Steven Bartolomey said he is still struggling to process the devastating loss of his fiancée and mother to his five children.
"It still feels like a nightmare that I'm not waking up from," he said. "She went last night and she never came home."
Bartolomey said Fletcher walked to the 7-Eleven down the road from the shelter they had been staying at in Hauppauge.
"She went out to get the kids trip money for our two oldest daughters," he said. "I was in the room watching my tablet, realized the time was late and she should've been here."
Five young kids are now left without their mom.
"They're devastated," Bartolomey said. "Mommy isn't going to be around for Christmas this year."
Bartolomey told us the family was weeks away from moving out of the shelter. Now the single father is left mourning and wondering why the driver ran.
"My best friend, beautiful mother of five — all she wanted was a house for her kids and to start a life," he said. "Now I'm planning a funeral."
Bartolomey said he has this message for the driver.
"Why couldn't you take the responsibility of your actions?" Bartolomey said. "You left five children motherless and a lonely man."
A short time later, a driver hit and killed another woman on Montauk Highway near Pease Lane in West Islip.
A car going westbound on the highway hit a woman crossing the road around 10:30 p.m. Suffolk County Police said. Tracey Dorismond, 32, of Brentwood, died at the scene.
The car kept going westbound.
Detectives said the two crashes do not appear to be connected. They are asking anyone with information on the crashes to call Crime Stoppers at 800-220-TIPS. Police say that all calls are anonymous.